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Hi, everyone! It's Jan & Bill again! You just can't seem to get rid of us!!
We would very much appreciate your thoughtful input:
Which "PLANNED COMMUNITIES" (as opposed to isolated houses in the same neighborhood) in the Asheville, Hendersonville, Weaverville, and Black Mountain areas can you recommend for a couple of active older retirees?
We don't want to live in a "senior" complex but would like to be among mostly active older adults. The ideal--repeat, ideal--community for us would have a strong social network, a clubhouse, walking paths, a park-like setting (tons of mature trees and green space), excellent medical services including a hospital nearby, and mountain views from our home--ahhhh, now there's the hitch!
We would prefer to avoid golf communities. Pool and fitness facility are merely nice options. We want a clubhouse for potlucks rather than concierge services, if you know what we mean. We want to live among "real" people who support one another's needs (you pick up my mail, I'll care for your dog), form shared interest groups (like a travel club), and have a lot of fun together in a meaningful "extended family" setting. Hopefully that "ideal" community would also reach out to the larger communities around it.
For the purpose of this thread, let's assume all price ranges.
Please help us find that special place in Hendersonville, Asheville, Weaverville, or Black Mountain, and give us as much detail as possible, telling us all the reasons for your recommendation(s). If you prefer, you may email us: parkies@cox.net.
We sit on the edges of our computer chairs in wide-eyed stares, hoping to hear from you...!!!
Betty and I went throungh that community a few weeks back. I did not care for the fact that they advertised as models open but had no models there at that location yet.
Oh well, we were only idea, (decorating, style, etc) hunting as we have our spot already. Just up the road from there a few miles, over the Madison County line.
This request from the Parkies was from 2007 - they are happily ensconced in their new home already - but I know they would have appreciated your input!
Well, didn't I check in at just the right moment. Thank you, MattAsheville, for your input--and Loves mountains, for your reply. We ARE happily ensconced now but only just finished our huge remodeling project--nine months of exhausting full-time work. Planted a fair sized garden this week--YEA!--and are tending 21 happy rose bushes. Just returned from a month-long road trip (FL, SC coasts) in celebration of our new life in the mountains, with time now to grow deeper roots....
We live in a lovely community in east Asheville called "Eastmoor by the River" (Swannanoa). We like the location halfway between Asheville and Black Mountain, both of which appeal to us for different reasons... and we appreciate the 15 minutes it takes to drive practically anywhere we ever want to go--downtown AVL, downtown BM, WNC Farmers' Market, medical services and hospitals, the arts, the Parkway--everything is handy! The community itself is less than 20 years old and is lush with natural vegetation and trees that must be 75 feet high. The community backs up to the Blue Ridge Parkway, so we get lots of animals including bear, turkey, red fox, rabbit, squirrel, black snake, and tons of birds! It's the quietest place on earth, the HOA is constructive, well-run, minimally intrusive, and inexpensive (no golf courses, clubhouse, etc.), and neighbors are wonderful. We are blessed!
We live in a lovely community in east Asheville called "Eastmoor by the River" (Swannanoa). We like the location halfway between Asheville and Black Mountain, both of which appeal to us for different reasons... and we appreciate the 15 minutes it takes to drive practically anywhere we ever want to go--downtown AVL, downtown BM, WNC Farmers' Market, medical services and hospitals, the arts, the Parkway--everything is handy! The community itself is less than 20 years old and is lush with natural vegetation and trees that must be 75 feet high. The community backs up to the Blue Ridge Parkway, so we get lots of animals including bear, turkey, red fox, rabbit, squirrel, black snake, and tons of birds! It's the quietest place on earth, the HOA is constructive, well-run, minimally intrusive, and inexpensive (no golf courses, clubhouse, etc.), and neighbors are wonderful. We are blessed!
Jan
Jan - so nice to see you posting again! It's also great to see that you found your place there and are so happy Do you ever miss California?
Not at all, lovesMountains! People say the weather in San Diego is great--we tell them it isn't weather, it's climate, pretty much the same all year 'round--which for us is boring. These four seasons have our hearts! We were just talking this morning about taking a trip to CA and we couldn't decide on a month--not October (too beautiful here), not November (want to prepare Christmas music), not December (wouldn't miss Christmas season with our church), not January (we love the winter here)... and so it goes.........
People? Of course we would love to spend time with our closest San Diego friends, but unless friendship is regularly nurtured (with frequent physical visits), it understandably fades away over time while new (NC) friendships take front row center. That's been our experience, anyway, all of our lives--long-distance friendships have not worked well for us--we have to live where we're living--and here in Asheville, between church and music, it has been easy to form meaningful friendships. People here are extremely "genuine," honest, and "accessible." Oh boy, could I tell you stories that'd warm your heart!
One of my favorites is about an older fellow that yelled something to me from a parking lot. I got up from the grass, walked past several cars to reach him, and explained that I couldn't hear him over the street traffic.
"If it keeps up like this," he said, "it's going to be a hot day!"
"Oh.... yes!--yes, it will," I smiled back. And with that he gave me a "Have a blessed day" and got in his truck and drove off.
Jan
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